Field
The present application relates generally to communication systems and more specifically to control and triggering methods and devices for machine to machine communications.
Background
In many communication systems, communications networks are used to exchange messages among several interacting spatially-separated devices. Networks may be classified according to geographic scope, which could be, for example, a metropolitan area, a local area, or a personal area. Such networks would be designated respectively as a wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), local area network (LAN), or personal area network (PAN). Networks also differ according to the switching/routing technique used to interconnect the various network nodes and devices (e.g., circuit switching versus packet switching), the type of physical media employed for transmission (e.g., wired versus wireless), and the set of communication protocols used (e.g., Internet protocol suite, SONET (Synchronous Optical Networking), Ethernet, etc.).
Wireless networks are often preferred when the network elements are mobile and thus have dynamic connectivity needs, or if the network architecture is formed in an ad hoc, rather than fixed, topology. Wireless networks employ intangible physical media in an unguided propagation mode using electromagnetic waves in the radio, microwave, infra-red, optical, etc. frequency bands. Wireless networks advantageously facilitate user mobility and rapid field deployment when compared to fixed wired networks.
As networks proliferate, the types of network elements connected thereto also expand. One type of network elements being introduced are machine to machine (M2M) elements. Examples of M2M elements include a smart utility meter (“smartmeter”), seismographs, vehicles, and appliances. An M2M element may connect to a network through a user equipment (e.g., smartphone, WiFi router). Accordingly, improvements to communication systems may be desirable to improve communication via the network, such as communication from an M2M service provider (e.g., utility company), with a connected M2M element.